


The Prince's Sight

by camcChildofAthenaFBN



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Arthur Knows About Morgana's Magic (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon Has Magic (Merlin), Burning, Ever - Freeform, Gaius is So Done (Merlin), Gen, He is less of an oblivious prat, I'm just writing this to forget the ending, IT never existed, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Morgana's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Sort Of, and actually questions his father for a change, arthur already knows but the rest of camelot needs to get glasses, but not too graphic, good Arthur, graphic descriptions of someone burning alive, kilgharrah is a cryptic bastard but i love him, pyre, so does uther
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:29:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29923113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camcChildofAthenaFBN/pseuds/camcChildofAthenaFBN
Summary: Arthur had always been able to see a person's aura, and their secret name. Soon, he learns that there is a price to pay if his father ever discovers his talent.-Or what would happen if Arthur has a magical talent of his own.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 48





	The Prince's Sight

**Author's Note:**

> This is rated mature because I'm paranoid. It has canon-typical violence, but will be described in more detail than shown on-screen.

Arthur Pendragon had always been able to see them. The secret titles above everyone's head. Everyone has them, even his father. Most of the time, it just described their jobs or positions, and they glowed a certain colour depending on who it is. Most had names like 'The Servant' or 'The Worker' and glowed a shade of green or blue.

At first, he thought that everyone could see them too, but he learnt otherwise over the years. The first time he fully realised this was when he was five. Before, he'd always thought that people just didn't like being called their secret name and colour. He thought that they didn't tell anyone about it because it was private to them, like his sword or father's crown. It was theirs and he was intruding on their privacy. Arthur knew that his father, Uther, didn't like to be called 'The Hypocrite King' and told that his colour was a darkish red.

It was his nursemaid that made him understand that his gift was not something everyone had. When he saw her, he could see that her colour was a faint gold. No-one else's colour was gold although Gaius's had flecks of it in his. To see someone so different was strange. What was more strange was her title: 'The Hidden Mourner'. At such a young age, Arthur was curious. Why was she mourning? Why did she have to hide the fact that she was sad?

When the nursemaid, Mary, put Arthur to bed that evening, he was getting frustrated because he couldn't figure out why. Uther had taught him to never ask anyone for help since it was a show of weakness; he had listened.

''Come to bed now young prince,'' she said as she lit the fire, her dark brown eyes reflecting the dancing flames.

''I don't want to!'' That wasn't strictly true since he was exhausted, but the frustration at not knowing why Mary was gold was starting to leak through.

''Come and be a good boy now,'' she sat on the bed and patted it, indicating for him to sit as well. This wasn't a normal servant's behaviour, normally, the others would have let him stayed up as long as he wanted since he was the prince. Mary was different in so many ways. ''I know you're tired. I can tell you a story if you don't want to sleep yet.''

Arthur walked over to her slowly and climbed on the bed. It took a while since he was too short at the time and, in the end, Mary helped him.

''Now, do you want to hear a story?''

Arthur contemplated his thoughts for a moment then blurted out, ''Why are you gold?''

Mary looked slightly shocked and taken aback by his question. ''What do you mean?''

''Everyone has a colour. But no-one's gold. And you're gold. And why are you mourning? Why do you have to hide that you're sad?'' The questions came out in a torrent, his curiosity getting the better of him.

His nursemaid blinked. ''You can see the colours?''

Arthur waved his arms around in frustration. ''Of course I can!'' he said indignantly. ''I'm not blind! I see everyone's colour and secret names.''

Mary glanced fearfully at the doors of his chamber, her dark curls dangling as she did so. She whispered, ''I...I'm going to answer your questions but you must promise me never to tell anyone about this. Promise?''

He nodded slowly and looked at her in the eyes to show her that he was serious.

''You have to understand something my prince,'' she began. ''Not everyone can see the colours and names that you see. What you have is a rare gift.''

''Other people can't see them?'' Arthur asked puzzled.

She nodded.

''Can _you_ see them?''

Smiling at him, she nodded again.

''So why are you gold then? And why is your secret name 'The Hidden Mourner'?''

''Everyone has a specific colour, like green or grey, to match their emotions and life,'' she explained slowly, making sure that he was following. ''But people with magic has gold instead. The more gold their colour is, the more magic they have.''

''But magic is evil! My father says so!''

''Magic isn't good or evil, it's like your sword. A sword is good or evil either, but you can use it to defend innocents or hurt people. Magic is like that. You can use it to make food, or you can use it to make the food disappear.''

Arthur thought about how Gaius used to do magic and the gold specks in his brown aura.

''So that's why you're gold?''

''Yes.''

''Why are you sad?''

The nursemaid smiled sadly, ''I'm sad because my family isn't here since they had magic as well.''

''Oh. Okay. You can see them soon though!''

The older woman didn't reply to that, instead she said, ''You must never tell anyone that you can see auras. Some people don't understand. They will think it's magic and you can get hurt.''

''Not even my father?''

''Especially your father. Do you promise me to never tell anyone, ever?'' Mary looked at him and placed her hands on his shoulders. ''Promise Arthur?''

''Yes. I promise.''

And he did. Arthur told no-one of his gifts even though it hurts him every time he saw someone die. During one of his raids on the druid's camp, when he first took a life, he became sick afterwards. The aura that had surrounded the boy flickered out, a gold bright enough that the lack of it was like being tossed into the dark.

When Mary was arrested and put on the pyre for sorcery, he cried. The fire had consumed her and he could see her faint, warm glow and her secret name buried under the smoke. The days that followed her execution were painful. In his spare moments, Arthur's mind replayed her screams as the fire licked at her. He tried not to think about the scent of human flesh that filled the air afterwards. Or the way her flesh must've melted and the deadly flames eating up her organs like a savage beast. He tried to stop his mind from wondering if she had been granted mercy by choking from the smoke, or if she'd been forced to withstand the torture as her bones crumbled to ashes yet she still lived. And the ash. The ash of the only person who knew of his gifts.

It was then he understood what Mary meant when she said she was sad because her family wasn't there anymore. And why she had mourned in secret. Her family had been killed for sorcery; if she mourned openly, then she would've been dead sooner.

Since then, he swore to remember every person that had been sentenced to death for sorcery by his father. Arthur knew, deep down, that it could be him since his Sight was too close to the magic that Uther despised for comfort.

**Author's Note:**

> I might write a second chapter for this. Let me know if you want it, or what you think should happen in the second chapter.


End file.
